ぼやぼや

ぼやぼや
adverb, onomatopoeia
absent-mindedly; in a daze; dawdling
informalonomatopoeia
1. absent-mindedly; in a daze; dawdling; spacing out
Describes a state of being inattentive, unfocused, or slow to act, often implying that the person should be more alert or responsive.
ぼやぼやしないで！
Stop spacing out!
ぼやぼやしていると置(お)いていくよ。
If you keep dawdling, I'll leave you behind.
ぼやぼやしていたら電車(でんしゃ)に乗(の)り遅(おく)れてしまった。
I was spacing out and missed my train.

An onomatopoeic/mimetic word (擬態語(ぎたいご)). Almost always used with する (ぼやぼやする) and carries a mildly critical or impatient tone — the speaker wants the other person to be more focused or to hurry up.

Common collocations

Similar words

  • ぼんやり: absent-mindedly, vaguely — broader meaning, can describe hazy vision or vague understanding; less critical in tone
  • ぐずぐず: dawdling, dilly-dallying — emphasizes slowness and indecisiveness
  • のろのろ: slowly, sluggishly — emphasizes physical slowness of movement

Related Words

Compare: ぼんやり (absent-mindedly, vaguely)
Compare: ぐずぐず (dawdling, dilly-dallying)
Compare: のろのろ (slowly, sluggishly)
general
Added 2026.4.10 12:42 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
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